


Everybody Wants to Rule the World

by teeandrainbows



Series: Becho Modern AU [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mutants, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutants, Technically a Crossover, but only one xmen character features at this point, slowburn, tags to be added as story progresses, xmen au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17912021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teeandrainbows/pseuds/teeandrainbows
Summary: When Roan dropped Echo off at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she didn't know what she expected.  Meeting Bellamy Blake certainly wasn't on her radar.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a moodboard I posted on my tumblr account as part of my Becho Modern AU series. More tags (ships, characters, and other) will be added as the story progresses.
> 
> Technically an XMen crossover, since Charles Xavier features, but really it's more of a mutant AU that happens to take place at his school.
> 
> It is, as all my work is, unbeta'd.

“Are you sure about this?” Echo asked, crossing her arms in front of her and giving an apprehensive glance at the sign on the gate as they drove through. Her brother glanced sideways at her and chuckled.

“E, I’m sure. This is the only place that can help you,” he replied, continuing to drive up the long road leading to the castle-like building she could spy in the distance.

As they drove, Echo’s thoughts wandered. As long as she could remember, Roan had been there for her. Her parents had died when she was still an infant, and Roan’s mother had taken her in. The pair were nigh inseparable, even after Nia Azgeda had given birth to a daughter of her own. Ontari had simply never managed to break into the unbreakable duo.

It was safe to say Echo trusted Roan above anyone else, which was why she was letting him drive her to this school for gifted youngsters. She had balked at that description at first, claiming she was no where near a youngster at 17 years old, but Roan had simply laughed.

“Where do you think I was the past two years?” he had asked with an arched eyebrow.

“I don’t know, college?” Echo had responded. Roan had laughed at her then, and Echo had gone sullen.

They finally arrived, and Roan put the car in park. Echo gazed up at the building, finding it far larger than she had imagined, now that she was up close.

“Roan!” a female voice called out. Echo dragged her gaze away from the sign nearly identical to the one at the gate and took in the woman now approaching her brother with a fond smile.

“Hey there,” Roan replied, opening his arms and welcoming the woman into an embrace. Echo’s eyes immediately averted. The woman seemed nice. She just wasn’t used to seeing her brother so open with others.

“Is that...” the woman started. Echo glanced back up furtively.

“It is. Luna, this is my sister, Echo. E, this is Luna Flower, she’s one of the teachers here,” Roan replied, reaching out his hand toward Echo. She stepped forward, taking his hand and letting him pull her into a side embrace.

“Hey,” she said simply, now taking in the woman, Luna, fully. She was tall, with curly hair and the kindest face Echo had ever seen. She was also around Roan’s age, which made it hard to believe she was actually a teacher.

“Welcome to our school, Echo,” Luna replied, extending a hand. Echo hesitated for only a moment before reaching out and shaking Luna’s hand.

“Are you two going to be alright? I wanted to see if I could catch up with a few people,” Roan said, clapping Echo on the back. Luna smiled, but Echo glanced sideways at him sharply. He either didn’t notice or chose not to, though, as he stepped away from her and gave a small wave farewell before walking off towards a group of people standing nearby.

“I can take you to meet the Professor now,” Luna said, turning around and starting to walk before Echo could respond.

“Wait!” Echo said, jogging a bit to catch up. “What is this place?”

“I’d rather let the Professor explain that,” Luna said, glancing sideways at her, “but it really is what the sign says. A school for gifted individuals. You have a gift, and the Professor can help you understand and hone it.”

Echo frowned, glancing around the hall as they walked. She had a gift, yes, although she wouldn’t call it that. It was more like a nightmare. As they continued, though, she looked out a long window and watched as a girl stretched out her arm... except it kept stretching, far beyond the normal limits. Echo’s jaw dropped as the girl grabbed onto a tree branch and started walking away, her arm stretching out, almost like...

“Miss Elastic, we call her,” Luna’s voice cut into her thoughts. Echo jumped. She hadn’t realized that she had stopped walking and was instead staring out the window at the sight.

“How does she do that?” she asked, an air of skepticism to her voice. Luna chuckled.

“Her body’s molecular structure is fluid enough that she can stretch out any of her limbs like an elastic band. In theory, she could do that with her neck and torso too, but she hasn’t built up to that yet,” she explained.

Echo felt a headache coming on. This was too much. It had been fine when it was just Roan and her with strange abilities, but now that she knew there was a whole castle filled with extraordinary people...

“Here we are,” Luna said, gesturing to a door that didn’t look any different from the other doors in the hall. The only real difference was a young boy sitting on a bench outside. He looked around her age, and was hunched over, hiding his hands in the pocket of a hoodie. Echo arched an eyebrow.

“Bellamy, is someone in with the Professor?” Luna asked, gently. Bellamy glanced up, nodding.

“Yeah, it’s, ah, my sister. They should be almost done, though,” he said, suddenly looking directly at Echo. She crossed her arms in front of herself, staring straight back at him. The hallway grew cold, and Bellamy’s eyes widened.

“Okay, let’s just...” Luna said, putting her hands on Echo’s shoulders and turning her towards the wall. Echo blinked, and realized there was frost sticking to it. Then she noticed the snowflakes in the air.

“Did I...?” She started. Luna nodded, and Echo sighed. Before she could say anything else, though, the door opened and a younger girl walked out, her expression guarded. Bellamy stood up, extending a hand towards her, but the girl pushed past him.

“Bellamy, I’m terribly sorry,” a voice spoke up. Echo watched in awe as a man in a motorized wheelchair came out of the room. He held a certain type of presence and Echo found she was holding her breath. The man glanced at her, gave her a smile, then turned back to Bellamy and spoke again.

“I will have to reschedule our little chat. It appears I have a new student to welcome.” He grew silent, staring at Bellamy for a moment and Echo wondered what was happening.

“Thank you, Professor,” Bellamy said suddenly, offering a nod to Luna before turning and walking away. Echo watched as he disappeared around the corner, and couldn’t help but notice he had gone the opposite direction his sister had gone.

With it now being the three of them in the hall, Echo turned her attention back to the Professor.

“Professor, this is Echo Mendes, the girl Roan told you about,” Luna said.

Echo stood still, waiting as the man appeared to scrutinize her.

“And Echo... this is Charles Xavier, founder of this school,” the woman added. Echo nodded slightly.

The man glanced above her shoulder at Luna who gave Echo a pat on the shoulder and went to sit on the bench.

“Why don’t you follow me inside,” the man said. Echo nodded. As she was walking into the office, Luna gave her an encouraging smile. Just as she was closing the door behind her, she realized something.

His mouth had not moved when he spoke to her.

An hour later she emerged from Xavier’s office, her arms wrapped around her. Luna immediately stood, and Roan was there too.

“So? How’d it go?” Roan asked, watching her carefully. Echo shrugged a shoulder, glancing between the two of them.

“I mean, he’s letting me be a student here,” she replied. It seemed to be the right answer, as both Roan and Luna smiled, and Roan clapped her on the back.

“I knew it. You’re going to love it here,” he said, glancing past her. Echo followed his gaze to Luna, who had her hands clasped in front of her.

“I can show you to your room,” she said, gesturing down the hall. Echo nodded and the trio was off, walking through a maze of corridors she was sure she would never be able to navigate.

As they walked, Roan leaned over and whispered to her, “It took me a while to figure this place out, but it’s great. There’s a lot of tiny places to claim, and the gym is amazing.”

If he thought the gym was amazing, then that was all she needed. When they finally stopped outside a door, less ornate than the one to Xavier’s office, Echo drew in a small breath as Luna fished a key from her pocket.

“Now, unfortunately everyone does have to share here, but the girl who lives here is really sweet,” she warned, unlocking the door and stepping back.

Echo held back a sigh, stepping forward and pushing open the door. The first thing she noticed was that the room was small. It held two beds, two nightstands, two armoires, and two desks, of course, but it was still small. One half of the room was bare, with a blanket neatly folded at the foot of the bed, but the other half was decorated in earth tones and muted accent colours. There was a girl sitting at the desk, writing something, but as Echo stepped into the room cautiously, her new roommate’s head lifted.

“Echo, is it?” she asked, without turning around. “If you don’t like the colours, I can change it. I don’t mind.”

Luna stepped in behind her. “Echo, this is Harper McIntyre. She’s been here for… how long, Harper?”

“Three years.”

“Ah, yes. And she’s never had a single complaint from anyone,” Luna finished.

Echo arched an eyebrow. Either this girl was a saint, or she had brainwashed everyone. She had found in her life that no one was perfect.

“I’m no saint,” Harper spoke up, finally turning to face her.

She had the most charming smile, and Echo found it difficult to focus on the fact that there was absolutely no way this girl could have known her thoughts, unless…

“Yes. I am a telepath,” she said, tilting her head. “You don’t have to worry, though, I try to stay out of my friends’ heads,” she added.

Echo arched an eyebrow and glanced back at Roan. This was really starting to get weird.

“Well… I should get going, E,” Roan said finally, after a long pause. Echo frowned, stepping closer to him, then glancing back at Luna and Harper. Harper, to her credit, turned away and put headphones on.

“You’re not staying?” she whispered, suddenly feeling very cold. Roan shook his head, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“I have to get home. Mother needs my help putting a stop to that corporate takeover, but I’ll come back here as soon as that’s all figured out,” he said, shrugging. “You’re not nervous, are you?”

“Screw you,” Echo responded, even as she felt her eyes burning from the tears she was trying to hold back. This wasn’t like her. She wasn’t one to cry. But for some reason, this was getting to her.

“You’ll be fine,” he reassured her, squeezing her shoulders ever so slightly. “I know you will. You’re Echo Mendes. And I’m always a phone call away.”

“Okay,” Echo murmured, taking a step back, out of his reach. Luna started to leave the room, stopping to briefly rest her hand on Echo’s arm.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” she said, offering a small smile before escorting Roan out.

Now it was just Echo and Harper. Her roommate was back to writing, and Echo realized with a jolt that her stuff was still down in the car. Of course she had known this was a boarding school situation, but she had hoped that she would be staying with Roan.

“Nathan is bringing your boxes up. He likes the practice of lifting heavy things,” Harper spoke suddenly. Echo breathed in sharply, trying to hide how startled she was.

“Oh, really?” she asked, maintaining bravado.

“I think he’s right outside now. You should open the door,” Harper replied, nodding in that direction. Echo sighed and turned to the door, opening it only to see a teenage boy on the other side, carrying all of her boxes, balanced, in his arms. Her jaw dropped.

That headache was starting to come back.

“Delivery for Echo Mendes,” the boy announced. Echo nodded, and watched as he slowly lowered everything to the ground. Then he winked at Harper who smiled sweetly back at him, and just as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone.

“Would you like help unpacking?” Harper asked. Echo shook her head.

“No, I’m fine,” she said. Harper nodded, a twinkle to her eye, and turned back to whatever she was writing.

Echo found the box that had her clothes and opened it, starting to put things away in the armoire. The room was silent, except for the scratching of Harper’s pen and the sound of Echo’s movements.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door and it opened. In walked the boy from earlier, Bellamy.

“Harper, you still up for cards later?” he asked, pausing for a moment to stare at Echo. She was pretty sure she was staring right back, caught with a shirt slung over her shoulder as she tried to find a free hanger. There was a long, awkward moment of silence.

“Yeah, of course,” Harper finally broke the silence. Echo peeked over at her and flushed at the curious look the younger girl was giving her. Then Harper spoke again. “Oh, Bellamy, have you met Echo? She’s new.”

“Yeah… we met outside the Professor’s office,” Bellamy said carefully, as though he was choosing his words. Harper smiled sweetly.

“Great. Echo, you should come play cards with us,” she said. Echo caught the look that passed over Bellamy’s face, as fleeting as it was, and shook her head.

“I think I’m going to stay in, get my stuff unpacked,” she replied, turning to her armoire and finally putting that shirt away. When she turned back, Bellamy was still standing in the doorway.

“I’ll, uh… I’ll see you later,” Bellamy said quickly, turning on his heels and walking out. Echo couldn’t help but notice that his hands were still firmly in his hoodie pocket.

Harper rose from her desk and put the paper she had been writing on into a drawer. “I know I’d hate for someone to watch me unpack, so I’m going to go see if there’s anything interesting going on in the lounge. It’s down the hall and to the left, and it’s where everyone hangs out, if you’re interested later,” she said, leaning against the door frame.

Echo nodded, shrugging. “Thanks,” she said before turning her attention to the next box. She missed the smile on Harper’s face as the younger girl closed the door behind her.


	2. Part 2

Later that evening, after she finished unpacking, Echo sat on the edge of her bed, staring across at Harper’s side of the room. The girl seemed sweet enough, although she wasn’t sure how long she would be able to handle it. Echo didn’t do sugary sweet. It just wasn’t her thing.

There was also the small matter of Bellamy. She had been mulling it over and had come to the conclusion that there had to be some significance to the way he looked at her. She had noticed it more clearly in the dorm, but it had been evident in the hall too. If she had picked up one thing, being Nia Azgeda’s adopted daughter, it was the ability to read people, and Bellamy clearly had a problem with her. Now she just had to find out what that problem was.

Not that Echo really cared, of course. She definitely did not care one bit about how one random guy she had just met felt about her. Not one bit.

“Ugh, who am I kidding?” Echo groaned, falling back on her bed and staring at the ceiling for a moment. She wondered if she could get something to stick to the ceiling, to make it more appealing to look at. Back home, she had painted a mural of the night sky. Maybe that was something she could do here.

After a while, she sat up again. She figured she might as well check out the lounge Harper had mentioned. After stretching her arms from side to side, she stepped into her black ballet flats and left her dorm. Down the hall and to the left, she remembered. She started walking, glancing out the windows every so often.

She knew she was close when she heard the voices. Many voices, in fact. Stepping around the corner, Echo’s eyes widened at the sight. In the center of the room, the Elastic girl from earlier was laughing, holding out her arms as the strong one - Nathan - was walking in circles, stretching out her arms and wrapping them around her. There was a boy with wings hovering above, and everyone was talking, cheering, laughing.

Echo turned around and promptly headed back towards her dorm. Her headache was much too strong for this. As she left, she couldn’t help but notice a girl around her age sitting primly by the wall. She was the only one not screaming at the top of her lungs. Echo squinted at her. The girl turned and spied her.

“Can I help you?” She asked. Echo shook her head.

“No, just heading back to my room. Too tired,” she lied. The girl arched an eyebrow.

“Fair enough. This lot can be a bit... much,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’m Lexa, by the way.”

Echo smiled politely, as Nia had taught her to do, and extended a hand. “Echo. I’m new here.”

“I figured. I know just about everyone here,” Lexa replied, shaking her hand. Echo was impressed at the grip.

“Yeah... well, it was nice to meet you. I’ll see you around?” She said, already backing off. Her headache, which had started to subside, came back in full force as a loud scream filled the room.

“That would be Ilian. His turn to show off, now,” Lexa said drily, giving a nod before returning to her seat.

Echo nodded, leaving the lounge. Maybe another night.

On her way back to the dorm, she stopped short. There, ahead of her, leaning his head against one of the dorm room doors, was none other than Bellamy. She ducked behind a column, watching him.

“Come on, just come out and tell me what he said,” he called, sounding as though it was something he had said many times already. There was a thump, and he backed away from the door. “Fine, have it your way,” Bellamy grunted, turning and starting to walk toward Echo.

She froze, weighing her options. Suddenly he was standing next to her, his hands still in the pocket of his hoodie. She wondered absently why he did that.

“Can I help you?” he asked. Echo got the impression he would have been crossing his arms if he wasn’t so adamant about keeping his hands hidden.

“Oh, no… I was just heading to bed. It’ll take me a while to fall asleep in such a new environment,” she rambled, stepping out from behind the column. Bellamy arched an eyebrow, then turned to continue walking. He didn’t say another word to her.

“Goodnight, I guess,” she muttered under her breath before continuing down the hall to her room.

She changed into a nightshirt as soon as she got back to her dorm and lay down. It was only 9pm, but the Professor had mentioned that classes started early, and she wanted to make sure she had time to eat and find her way to class. Staring up at the bare ceiling, she slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking about home.

As she slept, pleasant dreams slowly gave way to fire and shadows, and falling. Always falling. The nightmares grew worse. She couldn’t breath. There was a giant shadow overlooking her and she couldn’t escape it. She screamed.

Her eyes flew open, and Echo struggled to breath. She felt like an anvil was crushing her chest and nothing would ever relieve that pressure. Her eyes burned, unshed tears building up in their corners. Her whole body felt tense, and she couldn’t move.

“Echo? Echo, breathe. It’s okay. You’re okay,” a soft voice cut through her panic. Ontari? No, it couldn’t be. Ontari wasn’t that gentle. Neither was Nia. Who was it? Echo struggled to turn her head, to see who was standing beside her, a hand tentatively placed on her shoulder.

“Echo... it’s okay. Whatever it was, it was just a dream...”

Memories came flooding back, and Echo finally felt her muscles relaxing. She managed to roll to her side, glancing up at an extremely concerned Harper. Then she glanced at her clock. 3am. She flushed.

“Did I wake you up?” She asked, drawing her blanket around her. Harper, sweet Harper shook her head.

“I was already awake,” she replied, shrugging, “but I was worried about you. You were murmuring in your sleep and all of a sudden you went so rigid... I tried to wake you but I couldn’t.”

Echo sighed. At least she had not screamed.

“Actually... you did...” her roommate added, looking sheepish. “But it wasn’t that bad.”

“Oh, great...” Echo groaned, “fan-freaking-tastic.”

“Do you... have nightmares often?” Harper asked, pausing after every word. She started nibbling on her lower lip.

Echo sat up, slowly. “Not often. But... enough,” she replied, feeling silly.

“I have nightmares too. They’re not fun,” Harper said quickly. Maybe she was imagining it, but in the faint glow of the alarm clock, Echo was positive she saw the younger girl blush.

“What do you do about them?” She asked, curious. Harper fell silent for a moment. She even walked back over to her bed and sat down, and Echo was worried she had said the wrong thing.

Then Harper did a strange thing. She knocked on the wall in a strange pattern. The next thing Echo knew, a girl was materializing through the wall.

“What the—“

“Shh! We’re supposed to be asleep!” Harper hissed. Then she turned to the new girl, who Echo could tell was tired, even in the low lighting.

“Emori... I need you to do me a favour...” Harper said, rising and walking over to the other girl. Echo watched as Harper whispered something, and Emori flinched away.

“No way. Not a chance. I love you, Harper, but no!” She blurted out.

Harper let out an audible sigh. “I know, but... it’s past curfew and you’re the only one who can do it without going into the hall. And no one will blink when she’s in the hall.”

“You owe me, big time,” Emori grumbled, walking across to the other wall. Echo watched as she disappeared through that one.

“She can move through solid objects,” Harper explained. Then she fell silent. Echo could only guess that she had read the question in her mind.

“You’re right. Emori... she’s getting someone who can help you, but that person... well... her roommate is... well, she’s... scary,” Harper explained.

Echo arched an eyebrow, but she didn’t get a chance to ask any more questions before Emori appeared back in their room.

“She’s coming. Blake was sleeping, thank god. I don’t know how she manages,” the other girl said, before glancing at Echo. “Nice to meet you. Goodnight.”

Echo blinked. “So, if it’s past curfew, how will the other girl get here?” She asked, hating how little she knew about this place. Harper shrugged.

“Who knows? She’s never gotten in trouble before.”

There was a knock at the door and Harper went to get it. In walked a girl, maybe a year or two older than Echo.

“Emori said you needed me?” She asked. Harper nodded.

“Echo needs a dreamless sleep. Can you help?” She asked. The girl shrugged.

“Of course,” she said, walking over to Echo’s bed where she sat, baffled.

“That’s Niylah. She can put people to sleep. She’s helped me a lot,” Harper explained.

“Are you ready?” Niylah asked. “You should lie down in your most comfortable sleeping position.”

Echo narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but slowly lowered herself down, settling against her four pillows and drawing the sheets up around her.

Niylah sat on the edge of Echo’s bed, and smiled down at her. “You won’t dream when you’re asleep. It’ll feel weird at first, but don’t fight it. It only makes it more uncomfortable,” she explained.

“She’s right. I fought it the first time she did it for me, and it was awful,” Harper chimed in, even as she was crawling back into her own bed.

Echo nodded slowly, trying to force herself to relax. It was easier said than done. Even though the details of the nightmare were slipping away, the feeling of helplessness was still there. She closed her eyes and instantly the fire was back.

“Shhh... it’s time to sleep, Echo...” Niylah said. Or was it Niylah? The voice seemed to originate in her head. Echo’s lips curled up into a smile. It was a nice voice.

Her brain caught up, though, and the fire was back. She couldn’t go to sleep. Sleep meant nightmares. Sleep meant danger.

“Don’t fight it,” the voice reminded her. Maybe it was right. A soft melody reached her ears and she realized it was the voice singing. Slowly, Echo drifted off to sleep, listening to that sweet song.

When she woke the next morning, she realized she hadn’t had even a single dream.

Harper was already dressed when Echo sat up, stretching. The younger girl was back at her desk, writing again, and Echo tried not to stare. Instead, she glanced over at the clock.

“What time do we start classes again?” She asked, curious.

“8:30. So in an hour,” Harper replied without turning around.

Echo mumbled a quick thank you before standing up and heading towards her armoire to pick out an outfit.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Harper asked suddenly. Echo shrugged.

“No dreams, so that was good,” she explained. Harper hummed in approval, but didn’t comment further.

She chose a nice top and some jeans, then walked to the bathroom to wash her face.

“Breakfast is in the lounge,” Harper called in to her.

“Thanks,” she called back, braiding her hair and finishing it off with a simple black elastic. “You coming?”

“Oh, no... I don’t really eat breakfast,” Harper said, shrugging, “but I’ll eat a granola bar later.”

That was odd. Echo was of the opinion that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but she supposed it was fair that not everyone thought that way. She merely shrugged, though.

“Suit yourself,” she replied, grabbing a bag from the back of her chair and stuffing a notebook and a couple of pens inside. Then she looked at the piece of paper that definitely had not been on her desk the night before.

“That’s your schedule. We have normal classes in the mornings, like English and Math and whatnot, and in the afternoons we spend time honing our gifts,” Harper explained, still sitting at her desk.

Echo glanced over at her. “I see,” she murmured, looking down at the paper again. In the afternoon, she had two blocks, one labeled “Mutant History”, and one labeled “Elemental Control”.

“They group us based on similar powers. You’re probably in Elemental Control, so you’ll be with, erm...” Harper trailed off, thinking, “Monroe, for sure, and Lincoln. I can’t remember who else off the top of my head... sometimes Bellamy - that’s the guy who stopped by yesterday when you first arrived - sometimes he’s in Elemental Control but Monroe says he skips a lot. We’re not sure where he goes.”

Echo nodded absently. It would be just her luck to end up in a class with him, considering she was convinced he didn’t like her. Why, she had no idea, but it was just a feeling she had.

“You might see his sister in there too. Octavia. But she’s there even less than Bellamy,” Harper added.

“Alright,” Echo said, opening the door, “I guess I’ll see you around then?”

Harper finally turned around and smiled that sweet smile at her. “See you later! Maybe at lunch I can introduce you to some of my friends?”

“Sure, I’d like that,” Echo replied, offering a small smile in return before slipping out. Hopefully she could get a protein shake in the lounge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and commenting!


	3. Part 3

Echo quickly found out that this school, despite being for children with strange powers, was just like ordinary school. The teachers were boring, the coursework was easy, and the other students were annoying. What made things worse was that while in her old school, all she had to worry about was classmates clowning around, here she had to contend with the mutant abilities, too.

In math, she finished her work and stood up to take the sheet to the basket at the front of the room when a guy grabbed it from behind her and grew wings, flying over her head.

“You’re welcome!” He called over his shoulder, much to the chagrin of the teacher who was reminding him for the fifth time that period that mutant powers were not to be used in morning classes. Echo felt her headache returning and was grateful she seemed to be ahead of the class and had finished the work.

At the end of class, she rose from her seat, avoiding all the other students and leaving the room. Next, she had English. Thankfully, that was one of her favoured classes and she was actually looking forward to it.

At least, she had been looking forward to it until she reached the room and realized the only empty seat was right next to Bellamy.

“You must be the new student. Come on in,” the teacher said with a smile, gesturing toward Bellamy. “There’s a spot over there. Clarke, be a dear and pass Echo a copy of the novel? We’re reading “Of Mice and Men” right now; have you read it?”

Mortified at the attention, Echo slowly walked across the front of the room to the front row seat next to the boy she was convinced hated her for some reason. The blonde girl (Clarke; she had to start remembering names) dropped a book unceremoniously on her desk and wandered back to her spot on the other side of Bellamy.

Echo peered down at the book, then remembered the teacher had asked her a question. “Oh, um... I think so?” She said, glancing down again. The cover seemed familiar.

“Lovely. Alright, so we’re on page 72... Echo, would you like to start reading?”

Echo’s heart stopped and she stared helplessly at the teacher, her eyes wide. And she had thought she would love English here, like she had at her old school. Reading out loud, though? What kind of teacher made a brand new student read out loud?

She was saved, though, by a deep voice starting to read the chapter. Echo flushed under the gaze of the teacher, then stole a glance sideways at Bellamy who was reading, his eyes fixed on the page.

Eventually, he stopped, and an awkward silence fell over the room. Echo was just starting to wonder what was happening when the teacher spoke.

“Echo, we’re on the second paragraph now. Please follow along.”

Echo flushed and looked down at the book on the table in front of her. Picking it up, she thumbed through the pages. What page had the teacher said? She wasn’t sure. Seconds felt like hours as she felt her headache coming on in full force.

“72,” Bellamy whispered from beside her, “second paragraph.”

She peeked over at him, nodding, and found the proper page. After clearing her throat and praying that the rest of the day would be somewhat normal, she began to read.

Thankfully, her last period before lunch (Biology) was uneventful and it was finally time for lunch. Echo followed the crowds of students to a large cafeteria and waited in line until it was her turn to pick up a tray and choose between chef salad with grilled chicken strips or cheese pizza. Naturally, she picked the salad. Next was a choice between corn or carrots, and she went for the corn, and finally sliced peaches or grapes. Somehow, she convinced the lunch lady to give her both. After picking up a bottle of water, she turned around with her tray and found herself facing a crowd of teenagers, all talking and laughing.

“Shit,” she mumbled, taking a half step forward as she tried to decide where to go.

“Echo!”

She heard her name and glanced around until she spied Harper’s face in the crowd. Her roommate was waving at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. At least she knew someone here.

She walked over, balancing her tray carefully, until she reached the table. Echo’s heart dropped when she saw no less than eight other people sitting around the telepath. Somehow, there was room for her, though, as Harper shot a glare at a boy who tried to complain.

“Echo, these are my friends. John, Emori, Raven, Zeke, Zoe, Nathan, and Bryan. And this,” She cozied up to the boy sitting next to her, “is my boyfriend, Monty. Jasper’s a bit late, but he’ll be here shortly,” Harper explained. There was a chorus of hellos from around the table, and Echo glanced around apprehensively. She tended to be a solitary person, so being around so many people was uncomfortable.

Once everyone had greeted her, conversations started up again. Used to quiet family dinners back at home, Echo was shocked at how easily the kids around her were able to shift from conversation to conversation without skipping a beat. She found it hard to keep track, but from what she could hear, Zeke and Zoe were arguing over the best type of pizza while Raven and Emori were concerned about an upcoming History test. And that didn’t even begin to cover all of the different threads she was picking up on. To make matters worse, they weren’t the only fast-talking table in the room. Soon, Echo found herself overwhelmed, putting her fingers on her temples and rubbing gently. She absently noticed Harper watching her with a look of concern, and that was the final straw.

She stood up. Raven asked if she was alright, and Echo shrugged. “I just remembered, I left my other notebook back in my dorm,” she lied swiftly, ignoring the piercing gaze of her roommate. Without another word, she picked up her lunch tray, half of the food still on it, and left the cafeteria after dumping the food in the trash.

Outside, she leaned against the wall, letting out a breath. She half expected Harper to come running after her, but maybe the girl had picked up on her need to be alone.

Someone coughed, and she turned around. There was a girl sitting behind her, with dark hair. Bellamy’s sister, she realized with a start. She was sitting with a bowl of salad, although she didn’t seem too interested in eating it.

“What are you doing out here?” Echo asked, crossing her arms in front of her. The girl shrugged.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied, rising to her feet, “but I don’t care, so I won’t.”

Echo arched an eyebrow, watching the other girl’s body language closely. “Okay,” she said, her expression guarded, “I guess I’ll leave you to your salad.”

“I was just leaving,” the girl replied bluntly, turning on the heels of her army boots and walking off, leaving the barely-touched bowl of salad behind.

Echo sighed and turned to walk the other way. She still had some time and going back to her room seemed like the best thing to do at the moment. That way, she could prepare for her afternoon classes.

Not that she was looking forward to them in the slightest, of course.

Later, as she slipped into the room for Mutant History, she glanced around. Raven and Emori were sitting in the corner, and instantly they waved at her, gesturing for her to come join them. After battling with herself for a moment, Echo finally nodded, walking over and settling into the corner of the small sofa they were sitting on.

“I didn’t know you were in this class,” Raven said, grinning.

Emori piped up. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said from the other side of the sofa.

Echo nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. That was when the door opened once more and she looked over. Luna stepped in, closing the door behind her.

“Alright, everyone. We’re going to continue on the Cuban Missile Crisis today,” she said, glancing over at Echo. “And a huge welcome to Echo, who’s joining us for the first time today. Don’t worry about trying to participate today. Just follow along,” she added, offering a small smile. Echo nodded back, and settled back in the sofa. At least the seats in this classroom were comfortable.

It quickly became apparent that this was the class with the upcoming test, and Echo felt her headache coming back in full force. Thankfully, it seemed like Luna had no intention of making things difficult for Echo, something she appreciated greatly. Maybe it was a good thing Roan was dating her.

Halfway through the class, the door was opened with a bang. All heads turned, and Echo couldn’t miss the energy in the room changing. Everyone seemed to tense.

“Thank you for joining us, Octavia,” Luna said, nodding at an empty armchair. “We’re just continuing from yesterday.”

Echo watched as Octavia looked around the room, rolled her eyes, and went to the chair. She was still wearing her army boots, which made her steps heavy. Once everyone was settled again, Luna resumed her lecture. Echo wasn’t listening, though. Out of the corner of her eye she was watching Octavia sit sideways in the chair, her legs drawn up to her chest, her arms around her legs. She wondered what her story was. Everyone seemed to be scared of her. Part of her wondered if Octavia was the mystery roommate from the night before. It would fit with everything else she knew about the girl so far.

The rest of the class was uneventful, and when they were dismissed, Echo rose to her feet to leave. Luna called her back, though, and she had to avoid Raven and Emori’s questioning looks while she stood awkwardly in the center of the room watching them leave the room. Last to leave was Octavia who swept out as quickly as she had entered.

“How’s your first day going?” Luna asked once they were alone. Echo shrugged.

“It’s been interesting,” she replied, keeping her expression guarded.

“Don’t get mad, but Roan asked me to keep tabs on you,” Luna said, a warm smile on her face. It was just like him, Echo thought. Roan was always looking out for her, although sometimes he went to smothering lengths.

“I’m going to be fine,” she said, perhaps with more bite than she originally intended. Luna merely nodded, taking a step back, and Echo took that as her cue to leave.

The halls were empty and she realized she had no idea where her next class was. She meandered, gazing at the wall hangings and trying to figure out where she was going. As Echo rounded a corner, however, she heard voices up ahead. Voices having an argument. Once she was closer, she could see the two figures and could hear what they were saying.

“Look, all I’m saying is maybe you should think about it a bit more,” Bellamy pleaded.

“Back off, Bellamy,” Octavia snapped, venom in her voice. “You have no right.”

Echo immediately slipped behind a column, holding her breath.

“O…”

“Screw you,” the younger girl snapped, cutting him off before stalking off. Echo pressed herself back against the wall and thankfully Octavia didn’t see her. Then she stepped out, watching Bellamy as he slid back against the wall, sinking to the ground.

“You okay?” she asked, class forgotten for the time being.

Bellamy looked up at her, his expression immediately suspicious. “How much did you hear?” he asked, his whole body tense.

“Not much. Just that last bit,” she replied honestly, crouching down against the wall a few feet from him. “Sounded rough, though.”

“My sister. We don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things,” Bellamy said, setting his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his hands. “I’m just trying to look out for her, and she keeps pushing me away.”

Echo nodded slowly, staring down at her lap. “You’re older, right?”

There was a pause. “Yeah, why?”

“My older brother asked his girlfriend to look after me while I’m here, and it annoyed me,” she admitted, glancing sideways at him. “But I know it’s because he cares.”

Another pause. “Makes sense. I just… wish she would let me in. Ever since we found out we were… different… it feels like she’s been growing more distant,” Bellamy said, letting out a sigh.

Echo bit her lip. “Look, I know I don’t know you, but I’m sure you can figure this out. You seem like a smart guy,” she said, shrugging. “And I mean, all of us here are dealing with a whole new world. I know I nearly ran away when I found out I could do what I do.”

“Seriously?” Bellamy looked at her, an eyebrow arched quizzically.

“Yeah,” she replied, nibbling on her lower lip. “Roan convinced me to stay, and then he told me about this place.”

“She’s so stubborn,” Bellamy murmured, sighing again.

Echo chuckled. “So am I. And Roan is so overprotective, just like you.”

He stared at her for a moment, then let out a short burst of laughter. “Echo, right?”

Echo nodded, sticking out her hand. Bellamy stared at it for a moment, hesitating before reaching over and shaking it. As he did so, his hand started to glow and he yanked it back.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, shoving both of his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. Echo frowned.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re all gifted here, right? And yeah. I’m Echo Mendes.” She patted his shoulder.

“Bellamy Blake,” he said, grinning. “My hands glow.”

Echo chuckled again. “I make random weather.”

He laughed at that, and they sat together for a few moments before Echo sat up straight.

“Oh, crap!” she exclaimed. “I have to get to, uh…” She dug her schedule out of the bag she had been carrying, “Elemental Control!”

Bellamy arched an eyebrow at her. “That’s like… right around the corner. But it’s almost over now,” he said, shrugging.

Echo sighed. “Great. Missed a class on my first day.” She wasn’t too crushed over it, though. If nothing else, at least she finally had a read on Bellamy.

“I don’t get to class very often. The Professor has this weird interest in my sister and I, so we’re called out to his office a lot,” he explained, rising to his feet. Echo followed suit, pushing herself up.

“Lucky you,” she said drily, although she meant it as a joke. “Oh, by the way… thanks a lot for this morning. In English. You saved my life.”

“It’s nothing,” he replied, grinning. “Abby can be… interesting. But it’s a really good class. The Professor never calls me out of that one because he knows I like it. That and World History.”

Echo grinned. “I really like English. Biology was interesting too, but I actually think I liked Mutant History the most today.”

Bellamy laughed. “I think we’ll get along,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’m actually supposed to see the Professor now. The meeting you hijacked yesterday? Rescheduled to today,” he added sheepishly.

Echo nodded. “I’ll see you around, then?” she asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. Bellamy nodded and turned away, jogging down the corridor.

“Hey. Echo, right?”

Echo turned, hearing a somewhat familiar voice from behind her. The girl from the previous night, Lexa, was standing behind her, her hands on her hips.

“Yeah,” she said, guarded.

Lexa arched an eyebrow. “You’re in the paper a lot. With Roan Azgeda.” It wasn’t a question.

Echo felt like a broken record. “Yeah… what of it? He’s my brother.” She left out the fact that she was adopted.

“Nothing. It’s just interesting to see another Azgeda here. I would have thought Nia would try to keep her children away from here, especially after that botched up attempt at a corporate takeover,” Lexa said, crossing her arms in front of her.

All of a sudden, it hit Echo.

“You’re Lexa Polis,” she said, taking a step back. This wasn’t good.

“I’ll see you around, Echo,” Lexa said, turning on her heels and walking off, leaving Echo standing in the middle of the hall, baffled.

She needed to call Roan immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting! Sorry for the long wait...


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